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I don't have anything of note on Scandinavian glass - but I am aware of the two offerings from Leslie Pina and Lorenzo Vigier (Smoke & Ice plus Fire & Sea) - not cheap if you get both of them. Does anyone recommend these, or are there better options for that sort of outlay. thanks for looking. Paul S.

I'm not too keen on the Pina books - their fact-checking leaves a lot to be desired.

They're not cheap, but I've found the best books on Scandinavian glass are those focusing on just one factory. Holmegaard has 5-6 books covering it, but their main production is excellently detailed in Dansk Glas 1925 - 1985 (it's in Danish, but profusely illustrated), Iittala : 125 Years of Finnish Glass is a great history of the Finnish factory. I think most of the big factories have their own books - but I've only these in my collection so far.

As I say, they're not cheap - but they have paid for themselves very quickly.

The problem with books on glass is threefold: first, they're expensive, and, second, they're seldom either completely accurate or comprehensive, and third they're either absurdly general or arcanely focussed. Despite all this, I find that I was far worse off with no books, and I've spent a fair bit on glass books. I've got all the books mentioned, except Dansk Glass, where I have Lutken Glas ist Liben (yes, in the German as it was the cheapest I could find).

If you are starting to collect Scandinavian glass generally, I'd still get the Pina books. She does make a couple of mistakes, but there's a fair bit that comes up on eBay that I've only seen in her books. Later on, you can focus. If it's Orrefors and Kosta you like, Swedish Glass Factories by Ricke and Thor is the most indispensable, but very pricey. All the other books mentioned are definitely worth buying as you go along.

John - o.k., but do you consider that the Pina books (irrespective of the cost) were actually worth having in the end David - thanks, I've got to rush off now and look in the dictionary for 'arcanely focussed' - sorry, just joking. Like a lot of us, I have acquired some quite general books initially i.e. Millers, Jackson and some of the smaller guides - which give an overview to whet our appetites, and then we move on to more specialist books. But I wouldn't be without those first books, and I often pick them up first when I start a search. Coming back to the first reply - being a collector only, I don't think that for me it is quite so important that the books pay for themselves - although if they teach me what to avoid, then I guess that probaly is saving money.Without getting too academic, and wanting to enjoy the hobby without taking a Masters in glass, I feel that quality images are the best route for me at the moment - so that I can recognize which are the important and desireable pieces - seeing if something is cased, ground and bevelled, and what shade of colour. Text can then supplement this. Thanks to all of you.....must go to bed. cheers Paul S.

Books "paying for themselves" can also mean that you spot more bargains. Just recently I found a set of scarce Iittala drinking glasses on eBay for just 99p. There was no description beyond "small blue drinking glasses", and I only recognised them because I'd seen them illustrated in the aforementioned Iittala book.

If I were to buy them at the general going price from a knowledgable seller, they would have cost me twice what I'd paid for the book. In this respect, with one purchase, the book paid for itself twice over.

On Swedish glass, I must recommend "Orrefors - A Century of Swedish Glassmaking" which has the bestinformation on the sometimes complex signatures on Orrefors glass. The text is in English and a great resource.

"Swedish Glass Factories" by Helmut Ricke and Lars Thor is a must for those interested in Swedish glass.

Unfortunately, a similar book does not exist on Kosta and its many affilitated companies ie. Boda.

Of course, I must also recommend my book "Scandinavian Glass - Creative Engeries" with information on Finnish and Swedish glass with number of photographs.